Category Archives: Closer

Oh my god, I haven’t posted forever. I have so much music I want to share and not enough time to do so. Okay, so as a second semester senior I probably do have time since my classes are pretty easy this semester. But I have been way too busy enjoying some of my last moments in college. Four weeks and I am onto grad school. Scary… but I am really excited.

Okay, onto the music. I still haven’t really finished up my “remix” series. So here are a few amazing covers of NIN songs I found. And I must warn you, these are literally the only good covers of NIN songs that I found. There are some horrible covers out there. I think that speaks volumes about Trent Reznor’s craft. For one, his voice is a integral part of the song. And two, he creates music that is harsh, chaotic, and at times grating but somehow comes together to be beautifully haunting and emotionally charged.

The first cover is of “Sin” from Pretty Hate Machine by Razed in Black. “Sin” is one of my favorite songs and this gothic electronic band gives a more dance feeling to it. The vocals are of course not as good, but overall something that I would listen to for the novelty of it.

The second cover is of “March of the Pigs” on The Downward Spiral by Vika Yermolyeva on the PIANO! I cannot even express how great this woman is on the piano. I don’t know how she moves her fingers that fast … nor how she figured out how to make a heavy drum/guitar piece that literally had Trent throwing microphones in his version into a piano solo. You should definitely check out her other amazing songs.

The third cover is of “The Only Time” on Pretty Hate Machine by Godbox. Now, I absolutely loved Trent’s lyrics. They perfectly embody this raw, sexual feeling… one that will prompt you to be wild and passionate.

I swear, I just found everything I need. The sweat in your eyes the blood in your veins are listening to me. Well I want to wrap it up and swim in it until I drown. My moral standing is lying down. Nothing quite like the feel of something new.

However, I felt like the original dragged on and was really repetitive near the end. This version still has the amazing lyrics but gets rid of the repetitive problem.

And the last cover is of “Closer” from The Downward Spiral by TNTT. It is completely different sound. Like I said before, this song is probably one of the saddest songs I have heard. It is not, like everyone believes, about wild sex but about depression, self-hatred, and a tumultuous downward spiral. TNTT’s version is the exact opposite. It is sexy and fun, with the added lyrics “everybody wants a lover like that.” But because it is so different and conveying a different meaning, it is almost a completely different song.

Are any of these as good as the original. Not in my opinion. But they are great mix-ups that I will probably return to again.

This is the third part of my The Downward Spiral Series. Here are the links to the first and second parts if you need to get caught up.

#5 The fifth song on The Downward Spiral album, “Closer,” is probably the most known Nine Inch Nail’s song. It was played excessively in the mid-90s and was know for its explicit chorus, “I want to fuck you like an animal.” Because of this line, many people describe it as one of the sexiest songs ever. However, in the context of the album, it has a completely un-sexy meaning. As the main character goes further down the spiral of depression, anxiety, and psychosis, he turns to meaningless, animalistic sex to make him feel again–to feel anything again. But this does not work. Throughout the whole song, we can see he is going further into his depression. He talks about how his “whole existence is flawed,” how he has no “soul to sell,” how having sex is the only time he feels good about himself since it makes him “perfect” and “helps [him] get away from [his self].” This song is anything but sexy: it is a desperate cry for help and one of the saddest songs I have ever heard.

The music video fits the theme of the of the song perfectly. The raw sexual nature comes from Trent’s overt sexuality, the S&M paraphernalia, and the numerous freudian imagery. The animalistic nature and the idea of the decay of the body comes from the rotten carcasses and heads. The feeling of desperation and despair comes from the dark atmosphere and the emotion in Trent’s voice and body language. Yes it is disturbing and banned from MTV and youtube, but portrays the message of the song flawlessly.

This song/video is my favorite Nine Inch Nails piece and one of my favorite songs/videos of all time. Never have a heard a song with such raw emotions, such heart-rending lyrics, and such a stunning musical backdrop. Never have I seen a video with such detailed and disturbing but surprisingly beautiful imagery. Trent, you have created a masterpiece that will never age.

Also, if you have 30 minutes to spare, their is an amazing video of the making of the movie that describes the director’s processes and the numerous homages “hidden” in the video.

It may be long but it is well worth your time. Plus, The Closure DVD that this “Making of” video is from is extremely hard to find. I have been looking for a year now and have yet to see it in stores or see someone selling it on Ebay, Amazon, etc.